David Beckham answering questions at Friday's pre-game presser at Seattle's Qwest Field

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SEATTLE – To say that RealSaltLake never traveled well is like saying most people aren't exactly fond of cold sores.

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Nike is a relative newcomer to the boot game. What Nike has lacked in substance they've usually made up in style. Their autumn ad campaign channels Irvine Welsh's finest prose by asking us to choose; choose control, choose speed, choose accuracy, choose touch or choose 5-a-side. I chose control, specifically Nike's CTR360 Trequartista AG.

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From Soccer America The final six teams in the 32-team World Cup 2010 field will be determined today four in Europe, one in South America/Concacaf and one in Africa necessitated by the tie between Egypt and Algeria in their qualifying group. For a look at all six games, with television information and predictions .

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With a soggy forecast in Seattle for MLS Cup Sunday the Galaxy's thoughts have turned to the one drawback to Qwest Field - the artificial turf.

Meanwhile, former Galaxy striker Robbie Findley is looking forward to a championship clash against his former club.

Notable: This is David Beckham's first game in Seattle since joining MLS (although he played there in 2006 with Real Madrid).

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As part of our continuing partnership with the guys over at Soccer Pro, from time to time they send us products to test out and review. This month we received a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor V cleats to try out, and after three matches of playing in them I must admit that I have only good things to say about them.

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The four play-off games in the European qualification zone were all tight affairs with all left to play for in the second legs. France edged Ireland 1-0 at Croke Park in Dublin with a second half Nicolas Anelka goal.
In Lisbon, a Bruno Alves strike gives the Portuguese a slight advantage ahead of the return leg in Sarajevo. Click to continue reading...

VS.
The drama of World Cup qualifying reaches its apex in the next 7 days as the final spots for South Africa 2010 will be set. Nations will be paralyzed as their teams fight for footballing glory. The CONCACAF vs. CONMEBOL playoff features Los Ticos of Costa Rica vs. Click to continue reading...

VS.

The drama of World Cup qualifying reaches its apex in the next 7 days as the final spots for South Africa 2010 will be set. Nations will be paralyzed as their teams fight for footballing glory. The CONCACAF vs. CONMEBOL playoff features Los Ticos of Costa Rica vs.

Click to continue reading...

Uruguay's national team is now in Costa Rica, and they've had their one (and only) training session on the artificial surface at Saprissa. (I had thought that FIFA regulations required at least two training sessions on artificial turf, but I could be wrong.) Óscar Washington Tabárez, Uruguay's coach, almost certainly has his starting XI ready, with the only doubt being Walter Gargano. Click to continue reading...

By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

It's been all business in the Uruguayan and Costa Rican camps this week, ahead of their first-leg playoff match at San Jose's Saprissa stadium, with no bulletin-board material or off-key quotes to rile each other up.

Instead, it's generally been a pleasant environment for players, media corps and managers, both of whom have praised each other's squad's games and achievements but have also divulged very little information on their respective teams' workouts.

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Name Change Reflects the League's Historical Significance

November 3, 2009 – The National Indoor Soccer League announced today that the league has changed its name to the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The league released its 2009-10 schedule in mid October and will move forward as planned, under the new name.

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Name Change Reflects the League's Historical Significance

November 3, 2009 – The National Indoor Soccer League announced today that the league has changed its name to the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The league released its 2009-10 schedule in mid October and will move forward as planned, under the new name.

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The backers of Torrance's planned state of the art Futsal facility in a former warehouse on Maple Avenue have signed a lease for the 73,000-square-foot building and are projecting a December opening.

Dubbed South Coast Soccer City, the refurbished building will accommodate five Futsal fields with modular flooring and two artificial turf fields, a 4,000-square-foot training center, four party rooms, a homework room, cafe/lounge and store selling Futsal equipment.

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Houston visits Seattle in MLS Cup playoffs

Our reward for enduring through 32 weeks of regular season matches is a fascinating final four in the Western Conference playoffs. While the Chivas USA versus Galaxy doubleheader in Los Angeles stacks up to be a tough defensive struggle for both squads, expect fireworks from the Houston Dynamo and the Seattle Sounders FC.

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STARTERS
American goalkeeper Brad Guzan had an absolutely HUGE game for Aston Villa last night in the English League Cup. He saved a Penalty Kick during regulation time, then saved 3 more during the PK Shoot Out to decide the winner! Click to continue reading...

FIFA and Desso Sports Systems will be collaborating to promote artificial grass for football, and to establish one international quality standard for artificial grass. The contract with Desso Sports Systems fits in with FIFA's long-term vision to further improve and promote artificial grass for football, both on a professional and a community level. Click to continue reading...

Well, Costa Rica, you just got owned by Jonathan Bornstein. Marinate on that for the next four years. Maybe that's karmic readjustment for playing your home games at Saprissa on artificial turf. Either way, that is about as sour a result as you could possibly have in the final minute of an intentional soccer game. Click to continue reading...

Despite the unfamiliarity with the artificial turf and the hostility of a fervent 80000 strong Russian crowd in Luzhniki Stadium Moscow, the DFB-Elf secured their ticket to South Africa 2010. Here are the ratings for the team with more analysis to follow after a thorough celebration... Adler - 8.5 : Adler Click to continue reading...

Luzhniki Stadium

If European footballers were to be asked about the away venue they would least like to play at, Russia would probably top the list. ‘A tough place to go' is about the size of the cliché, with both clubs and national teams wary of the distance, temperatures and the teams that thrive on home soil.

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Just when you thought Costa Rica's World Cup qualifying hopes couldn't get any worse, they manage to get worse.

Just a week after seeing head coach fired Rodrigo Kenton and replaced by Rene Simoes, the "Ticos' have now lost standout central midfielder Celso Borges for the remainder of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying after he suffered an injury while playing with Norwegian club team Fredrickstad, an injury he blamed on the artificial turf.

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Just when you thought Costa Rica's World Cup qualifying hopes couldn't get any worse, they manage to get worse.

Just a week after seeing head coach fired Rodrigo Kenton and replaced by Rene Simoes, the "Ticos' have now lost standout central midfielder Celso Borges for the remainder of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying after he suffered an injury while playing with Norwegian club team Fredrickstad, an injury he blamed on the artificial turf.

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Finally. Toronto FC will no longer be regarded as that club with the terrible FieldTurf. The Toronto city council voted unanimously to approve the placement of grass at BMO Field in a vote held on earlier today.

The decision means there will be one less MLS team playing on artificial turf in 2010.

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The Toronto city council voted unanimously to approve the placement of grass at BMO Field in a vote held on Wednesday.

The decision means there will be one less MLS team playing on artificial turf in 2010, with Toronto FC joining the New York Red Bulls as teams set to make the move to grass next season.

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The Toronto city council voted unanimously to approve the placement of grass at BMO Field in a vote held on Wednesday.

The decision means there will be one less MLS team playing on artificial turf in 2010, with Toronto FC joining the New York Red Bulls as teams set to make the move to grass next season.

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New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston is out for the season with a torn ACL suffered during the Revs' 2-1 win vs. Seattle on Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

Ralston suffered the injury after planting his right leg upon landing following an aerial challenge vs.

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New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston is out for the season with a torn ACL suffered during the Revs' 2-1 win vs. Seattle on Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

Ralston suffered the injury after planting his right leg upon landing following an aerial challenge vs.

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I decided to forgo the high school season again - mostly because I've looked at my schedule, and realized that I'll just be too busy to do it; most of the games are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays - all of which I have booked well into next year. Instead I'll do some women's league games, which run on different days of the week; this has the added benefit of not being on (as) crappy fields, so I'm less likely to turn or tweak anything. Click to continue reading...

The grass at the Cooperage Football ground in Mumbai is set to get greener,thanks to artificial turf (costing between $500,000 to $600,000) sanctioned by the FIFA.
Eric Harrison and Chrisantha Perera, two FIFA officials, visited the ground on Friday morning from Bangalore, along with All India Football Federation (AIFF) outgoing general secretary Alberto Colaco.

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With it being Labour Day (yes, our American friends, we spell it with a "u"), The Yorkies want to celebrate the true workers who have so far worn the Red for Toronto FC. Channelling the proletariat spirit of Karl Marx we offer you a starting line-up of the most blue collar, hard working and enthusiastic lads to run out on our Eastern Bloc era artificial turf. Click to continue reading...

It's been long rumored, practically guaranteed in previous statements, but now it's officially official: the Austin Aztex will play at AISD's House Park in 2010. The downtown stadium is technically located at 1301 Shoal Creek Blvd, though most think of it as being on Lamar Blvd (Google Map).
Yes, it will still be artificial turf. Click to continue reading...

I forgot to add this, a guide to Perm from the Football Supporters Federation.

On the ground:

The Zvezda Stadium was formerly known as the Lenin Komsomol stadium until the fall of the Soviet Union. Opened in 1969, like many other Russian stadia it is covered with artificial turf to help keep conditions playable during the Russian winter.

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Well, that was just what the doctor ordered, wasn't it? Before kick off on Merseyside at Goodison I would have suffered a point, was hoping for a win – and oh, how we got one!

It must be said that Everton were hopeless open. I doubt many teams will leave us the freedom of the park like that for the rest of this season.

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Keith Rados and his wife Ana have travelled the world and seen a lot of soccer over the years. He is very passionate about the sport and loves the color and atmosphere you find in other countries. By building Cinco Soccer in east Tampa, the couple has managed to bring some of that flavor to the Bay area and given the community a real soccer hub.

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So after a few days straight out of Dante, I finally get the chance to sit down peacefully and post to the blog before that sniveling little ratfaced pinko Dan Loney gets the idea that the whole damn thing has been turned over to him.
So I log on, full of fire and vim and ready to do battle with the forces of evil and darkness and International Freemasonry and, of course, Dan has ALREADY COVERED THE STUFF I AM TOTALLY CRANKED UP ABOUT. Click to continue reading...

Adrian Hanauer isn't happy about the site of the Open Cup Final.
It would be easy to just say "The USSF is idiots", hit Post Now, and wait for the "This is your best blog post EVER!" comments.
But, just for fun, let's try to look at it from the Fed's point of view, if that's possible. Click to continue reading...